Floating skimmer trough



Patented Sept. 9, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE V FLOATING SKIMMER THOUGH John H. Hale, Detroit, Mich. Application December 3, 1945, Serial-N0. 632,484-

4 Claims. (01. 122-'-3s9)" I This invention relates to a skimmer and more particularly to a skimmer for separating floating material from liquids or for separating two liquids of different specific gravities.

In the use of boiler equipment it is usual practice to introduce chemicals in the liquid contained in the boiler and the connecting heating coils or pipes to dissolve and loosen foreign matter, such as lime and impurities in the liquid which collects on the walls of the boiler and pipes. The loosened material is in the form of a sludge which has a lower specific gravity than the liquid and rises to the liquid level within the boiler.

An object of this invention is to provide a device for removing the sludge at any liquid level within the boiler.

Another object of the invention is to provide a floating trough within the boiler for collecting and draining off the floating material at the liquid level and to provide means for adjusting the trough relative to the float means so that the trough maintains a predetermined relation with respect to the liquid level.

A further object of the invention is to provide supporting and guiding means within the boiler which may be readily installed in a boiler after the boiler equipment has been in use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a boiler head, parts being broken away and in section showing my improved skimmer within the boiler;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the skimmer shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of one of the balls.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown a boiler head In having a removable cover I2 for an opening in the head to provide access to the interior of the boiler, through which the skimmer mechanism is inserted. The skimmer is vertically movable on a pair of longitudinally spaced guide rods It, each positioned in the boiler by upper and lower tubular sleeves l8 which are welded or otherwise secured to the inner wall of the boiler shell. Each rod has its opposite ends screw threaded as at 20. A nut 22 is received on the threaded end and before assembly, the nut is positioned on the rod spaced some distanc from the end of the rod and a washer 24 is received on the rod adjacent the outer surface of the nut. When the rod is inserted in the sleeves I8, one end of the rod is inserted in one of the sleeves and the opposite end of the rod is tipped into alignment with the opposite sleeve. The nut on the end of the rod within the one sleeve is then threaded toward the end of the rod. The washer 24 is in engagement with the end of the sleeve and the movement of the'nut causes vertical movement of the rod and the opposite end of the rod enters the tubular sleeve. The other nut is then turned toward the outer end of the rod into tight engagement with the end of the opposite sleeve. The rods l6 form a guide for the movable float and at the same time form a supporting brace for the boiler shell.

The float mechanism comprises a pair of oppositely disposed hollow balls 26 connected by a trough 2B. The balls 26 are preferably formed from sheet metal material stamped in two halves.

Each half is dish shaped and the edges of one half is welded to the edge of the other half to form a hollow ball. In side elevation the ball appears as a sphere but in top plan view an oval as illustrated in Fig. 2, A tubular sleeve 30 is welded in the center of the ball for a sliding fit on the rod [6.

Flanges 32 are secured to the adjacent surfaces of the balls 26 and are provided with a plurality of vertically spaced openings 34. The trough 28 has a body portion, V-shaped in cross sectional area, extending longitudinally between the two balls 26. The opposite ends'of the trough are provided with vertically extending flanges 3B having an opening therein adapted to be aligned with one of the openings 34 in the flanges 32. A bolt and nut 38 removably received in the aligned openings for securing the trough to the balls. By this arrangement, the upper surface of the trough can be Vertically adjusted with respect to the liquid level. In the form illustrated, the trough is shown adjusted to a position slightly below the liquid level indicated at 40.

At the lower edge of the trough, I have shown a drain conduit which is preferably made of flexible tubing 42 between the shell of the boiler and the trough. A suitable fitting 4 3 in the sheet receives an outer conduit 46 connected to the sewer. A control valve 48 regulates the amount of flow through the conduits.

From the foreoging it will be apparent that I have provided an adjustable floating skimmer which rises and falls with the liquid level and one which may be maintained a, predetermined distance from the liquid level.

It will be understood that various changes including the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit 3 of my invention and it is not my intention to limit its scope other than by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A skimmer for removing suspended material from liquid levels comprising a trough, an apertured flange at the opposite ends of said trough, hollow ball floats adjacent said flanges, a, flange on each of said balls having a plurality, of vertically spaced apertures, means for adjustably se curing the apertured flanges of the trough to the apertured flanges of the balls, guide means for said ball floats, and flexible drain for said trough.

2. A skimmer for removing suspended material from liquid levels comprising a trough having a flexible drain conduit, a hollow ball float, means for adjustably securing said ball tosaid trough, a tubular member extending through said ball, and a guide rod extending through said-tubular member.

3. A skimmer for removing suspended mate rial from liquid levels, compri'singa troughhaving a flexible drain conduit, a hollow float at-eaeh end of said trough, means for adjustably positionmg each float relative tosaid trough ahdto each 25 1,875,544

other, and'a guide for each of said-floats;

- threaded ends of said rods and between the ad- 'j'acent end faces of said sleeves, and a floating trough guidedby said rod.

JOHN H. HALE.

REFERENCES CITED The. following references are of record in the file of this patent:

- UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,128,121 Ferguson Feb. 9, 1915 194,723 Ransom Aug. 28, 1877 Alphonso Sept. 6, 1932 1,109,550 Schreiber Sept. 1, 1914 

